Improvement in clearing attachments for stove-grates



' E. A. c. Fox. CLEARING ATTACHMENT FOR STOVE-GRATES.

Patented; J'u1y10,1877

INVENTOR WXC. m

WITNESSES NFETERS PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER. WASHINGTON. D. O.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.-

ERNST A. 0. FOX, or FREDERICK, MARYLAND.

lMPR OVEMENT IN CLEARING ATTACHMENTS FOR STOVE-GRATES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 192,9ll, dated July 10,1877; application filed May- 17, 1877.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ERNST A. 0. Fox, ofFrederick, in the county of Frederick and State of Maryland, haveinvented a new and Improved Clearing Attachment for Stove- Grates; and Ido hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the same, reference being bad to the accompanyingdrawings, forming part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is abottom-plan view of a grate with the clearing attachment. Fig. 2 is avertical section in line a: m, Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a detail view of asingle clearing-finger, showing its pivot and its mode of connection tothe operating-rod.

Similar letters of reference in the accompanying drawings denote thesame parts.

In the drawings, A represents the supporting-plate, inwhich thestove-grate B is held by a peripheral countersunk flange, as shown inFig. 2. Flanges a. a, are cast or otherwise provided on the under sideof the plate A, for the reception and support of a small sliding frame,U, composed of two lateral angle-irons, c c, rigidly connected by across-bar, c. A cross plate or bar, D, is provided with two journals, (1d, arrangedat or nearly in line with its rear edges, and having theirhearings in the sideplates c a, so that the front edge of the bar D willtend to drop down by its own gravity. A series of bentupwardly-projecting fingers, e, are attached to the front edge of saidbar, in line with the several openings between the grate-bars, andbetween the two middle fingers an operating-rod, F, extending throughthe front of the stove, is attached by means of an eyebolt or othersuitable connection.

The operation of this device is as follows: The entire clearingapparatus, consisting of the parts 0, D, and e, can be slid back andforth by means of the operating-rod, and as it is so reoiprocated thefingers e may be either held down below the grate, so as not tointerfere with the coals and ashes thereon, or they may be raised andcaused to project up between the grate-bars and rake the coals and ashesupon the grate, as will be readily understood.

When not thus in use the clearing attachment is pushed back out of theway, and does not in any manner interfere with the normal operation ofthe grate, and when thus pushed back the fingers drop by their owngravity, so as no longer to be within reach of the destructive action ofthe fire.

I claim as my invention- The combination of the casting A, having theflange a, with the grate B, and the clearing attachment arrangedunderneath the grate, and provided with fingers which normally lie belowthe under side of the grate, but can be raised and drawn back andforthat will, substantially as described, for the purpose specified.

ERNST A. 0. FOX. Witnesses:

F. F. TREIoH, T. HARTMAN.

